Motor Sports Betting Guide: Strategies & Top Promos
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- DraftKings, FanDuel, and bet365 are running "bet and get" motor sports promos — DraftKings awards $200 in bonus bets after a $5 wager, FanDuel returns up to $1,000 via bet reset tokens over five $5 bets, and bet365 gives $150 in bonus bets after a $10 wager regardless of outcome.
- BetMGM, Fanatics Sportsbook, and Caesars structure their new-user motor sports offers around post-wager outcomes — BetMGM covers a first bet up to $1,500, Fanatics offers a 10-day bet match up to $100/day in FanCash, and Caesars doubles winnings on the next 10 bets via 100% Profit Boost Tokens (first bet at minimum -10,000 odds).
- Racing schedules run across NASCAR, F1, and IndyCar with races typically on Sundays, qualifying the day before, and practice on Thursday or Friday — qualifying bet outcomes will shift the race odds.
- The Indianapolis 500 (Memorial Day weekend) is the premier IndyCar event, the Daytona 500 is NASCAR's richest race and a Crown Jewel, and the Monaco Grand Prix is F1's biggest spectacle despite being described as "somewhat mundane" due to limited passing opportunities.
- Motor sports bet types include outright winner, placement/top finish, dual forecast (correct 1st-and-2nd order), each way, stage winner (NASCAR/IndyCar), matchups/head-to-head, group winner (NASCAR), top car make (NASCAR), and qualifying bets — with dead-heat payouts proportioned by stake (e.g., FanDuel applies half the stake at original odds).
- F1 futures are offered on the Drivers Championship and Constructors Championship, with only the top 10 finishers in each race earning points across the season.
- Live betting is more prominent for NASCAR and IndyCar than F1 because those series have more laps allowing for gradual odds shifts, while F1 odds can swing quickly toward one driver or team.
Why it matters: Six major sportsbooks are actively competing for motor sports bettors with promo offers worth up to $1,500, signaling that racing — long a niche betting market — has become a mainstream acquisition battleground. With weekly NASCAR action, an F1 calendar spanning marquee events from Monaco to Abu Dhabi, and the Indianapolis 500 ahead, bettors now have more market types (qualifying, stage winner, dual forecast) to choose from than ever before.
